Reflection: Find/create 6 assessment strategies in art education; 3 summative and 3 formative
Before I get to responding to the reflection question, I want to first spark some questions to spark some thinking. How do we assess students if everyone's artistic style is different? Are you assessing based off of following your instructions or copying your style as the teacher? What is the purpose of assessing and evaluating your students' artwork?
During my college experience, I’ve had two completely different painting teachers. The first one that I had was not quick to criticize your artwork unless you personally asked for it or his help. He would walk around the room and watch. He’d would give us instructions and examples of what and how we were going to paint that day. And then until the next assignment, you were free to do the assignment on your own, figuring it out for yourself. When he would aide you, he would explain and show on your artwork and then let you do it. I didn’t realize how grateful I was for his methods of teaching until I experienced my second painting instructor. The second one was very different. He’d explain and instruct how he wanted it done (which were also different methods) and then leave you to it. While walking around the room watching different students paint, he would stop and criticize either your method of painting or the painting itself. He’d give advice on how to do what he wanted. With a few struggling students who were quite new to the medium, he’d take their brush and do it for them. Throughout the semester, he tried to teach us how to paint using his impressionist style (total opposite of my own style). I’m very keen on detail, it’s how I paint and how I am. So naturally, throughout the semester my teacher and I butted heads but still gave each other respect.
I don’t know if his assessment was fair or not, but I managed to get an A (rare) out of his classe—I partially think part of it was due to talent and not progression or learning. So with this story in mind, where do you draw the line in assessment so that you don’t assess their style, but rather the product and progression of your students’ art experiences? Should teachers also assess themselves based off of their instruction and aide to their students? What is a good way to make sure that you’re not capping off their creativity by having them paint how you paint or draw like you draw with your personal style? As discussed in our textbook, ch. 5, how do you make sure that there is balance between completing the structured, sequential curriculum objectives while still keeping it open, creative and indeterminate?
Just something to think about.
So what is the purpose of assessing art? In the Art Education Assessment Framework, it describes the purpose for assessing art. It says that we assess our students artwork to help them understand the human significance of the 4 art forms: visual, music, dance and theatre through the discipline, joy and challenge. It also helps them to understand their lives through different experiences as it does with other frameworks such as science, math, english, etc.
Summative Assessment:
- Portfolios
- Discussions
- Journals
- Integrated performances
- Art shows with artist statements
- Self-Critiquing
- 2 min. buddy suggestions (students pair up, offer 1 thing they like about their neighbors artwork and 1 suggestion as to how to improve)
- Teacher moves about the room offering encouragement, asking questions and giving help to students as they work on assignments
- Use benchmarks with their assignments. As students reach each goal for their assignments, have them reflect on how well they are doing and if they would change anything in an open classroom discussion with everyone's artwork on the display. I wouldn't have any more than 1 or 2 benchmarks unless it's a big project
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Jessica,
ReplyDeleteYou ask some very penetrating questions. What do you think the answers to those questions should be? This might be a good discussion to have in class. You also have some great ideas on assessment.